In a virtual environment, meetings between avatars enable the users represented by these avatars to interact with one another.
In particular, a first user may wish to come into contact with a second user through their respective avatars. When the second user's avatar is not located in the vicinity of the first user's avatar, then the first user's avatar has to join the second user's avatar. For example, the first user's avatar should be able to meet the second user's avatar in a different region of the same virtual environment, or even in a distinct virtual environment.
To this end, certain systems propose a system of “virtual teleportation” by making the avatars disappear and then reappear at any place whatsoever in a destination virtual environment.
In other words, when two users decide to come together in the virtual world, or when one of the users decides to come close to a second user in order to perform common activities, for example to communicate, the representation of one of the users disappears and then joins the other user's representation and appears directly beside the other user's representation.
Thus, when the second user's terminal has received the needed information, the first user's avatar disappears from its original position and appears at one stroke beside the second user's avatar.
The other users having avatars present in the same region as the first user also note the sudden disappearance of this avatar on their respective screens and the other users having avatars present in the same region as the second user note the sudden appearance of the new avatar.
This technique of displaying avatars by an appearance or by deleting avatars by a disappearance is also implemented when a user' avatar comes into a virtual world or leaves a virtual world.
One drawback of this positioning technique is that it is not natural for the other users. Indeed, the other users will see an avatar appear or disappear suddenly on their respective terminals, which marks a break with reality and is not possible in real life.
Now, in order that the meetings in the virtual world may be close to reality, it is desirable that the avatars should behave naturally (especially in their motions and in their movements), enabling users to project themselves in the real world and provoking their desire to maintain the immersive situation.
Unfortunately, this classic positioning technique deletes the impression of immersion for the users who see avatars appear and disappear in a form of behavior not in keeping with reality. The utility of continuing the immersive experience then diminishes until it will ultimately cause a user to leave this virtual environment.